Whitetails 365: Scouting for the 2023 Deer Season

Whitetails 365: Scouting for the 2023 Deer Season

By Aaron McKinney

It seems as soon as deer season concludes Jan. 10th, I am already looking froward to opening day of bow season October 1st. In February, we get outside to check for sheds and take inventory of which bucks made it through the gun seasons. Finding sheds can be the first step in creating a target list for the next hunting season. Make sure you take note of where you find sheds. Often in the winter deer are bedding close to food, and this can give you insight to the bedding area a specific buck is using. I have found a lot of sheds dropped off when a buck beds down. Evaluate the bedding area and determine if a buck would use the cover early season. Now start building a log around the deer. Decide which deer you will target for the next hunting season and the time of year the buck is on your property.

As you are outside this month, utilize the time spent in the timber as an opportunity to scout and prepare for the upcoming season. The information you gather on your walk this February is invaluable for the upcoming deer season. You can learn how deer are currently moving on your property, and prepare for how they will use your area this upcoming year.

Hunting Stand Evaluation
In February, the leaves are off the tree and so much of the area is visible. The area looks a lot different from when you bowhunt in the fall. Use this time to wander by your hunting stands or blinds and try to make observations that the deer would make. Can you see inside the blind? Is your stand too obvious to the deer? Consider your silhouette. I have been busted by deer because I didn’t account for my silhouette against the sky in low light periods? It is easier to make management decisions when the leaves are off. You can easily see branches and sticks that need trimmed to create clean shooting lanes. Trimming in the winter is also easier on the tree. Since it is dormant, you will not be stressing the tree as it is actively growing. Our harsh winters can mean ice and trees falling to the ground. As you walk, take note of fallen trees that are blocking deer paths. If you see widow-makers, cut them down and get your timber safe again. If you do not have a chainsaw with you, make a note about where the trees and logs are to remove them later.

Redirecting Deer Traffic
Once the leaves are off the trail, and the grass is dormant and not growing, deer sign stands out. Take a look at new and old paths to determine which ones have been used most. This is much easier to do during February than in August when grass is green and growing. It may be time to reposition your stand for next year. I honestly usually wait to move stands, but I use this time to gather as much information as I can. If there is a new trail, ask yourself why? Did human intrusion re-direct traffic? Do you need to redirect deer traffic closer to your stand? Another thing I will do is pull down the top barb of a barbed wire fence. It is best to do this only on the fences you own, and to consider livestock. It is surprising the distance deer will walk just to cross a fence a little easier. You can also block an existing path that you do not want deer to use. Hinge cutting you can block an existing deer path and redirect traffic closer to your stand. Make sure there is a “Y” in the path so deer can choose to walk the path leading to your stand. Start redirecting deer early so by the hunting season the old path is obsolete and the new path is a familiar deer highway.

Low Intrusion Pressure
The most advantageous benefit to February scouting is that you are not pressuring deer during the hunting season. They will tolerate more pressure right now and have less impact than getting busted in the fall. Bumping a trophy buck is never a good thing. However, you are giving the buck ample time to adjust and calm down before you will be hunting him. Do not be lax on scent control programs. Wear your rubber boots and gloves, and do not leave too much scent behind on objects. There is no need to create any more pressure than necessary. If you can avoid touching vegetation with bare hands at this time, do so to minimize your presence.

Deer Sign
Rubs and scrapes are as visible as ever. Take note of the locations of these signs. Often times scrapes will be used from year to year, and can be more active the next year. If you find an area with heavy scraping activity, this will probably be a good stand location. Placing a stand about 20 yards away from these scrapes will be a deadly archery tactic during October and November. Both doe and bucks frequent scrapes during the hunting season. You can also find some scrape lines where a buck is marking his territory. If he is marking his area with scrapes and rubs, you can bet he is comfortable in the area. Use this information and throw up a couple of trail cameras this summer to get a better idea of which bucks could have made the scrapes and rubs.

Going Forward
If you have a new piece of ground you are hunting, scouting in February is a necessity to get to know the land. Maximize your hunting area by scouting in February. With minimal intrusion, evaluate the activity of deer from the previous hunting season. Neighboring pressure and the creation of scrapes from the previous year can influence the patterns of deer in the future. Identifying these factors will increase your odds of filling your freezer in the upcoming deer season.